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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27000346">The Crossing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/islacruces/pseuds/islacruces'>islacruces</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Developing Friendships, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, POV Third Person Limited, Pre-Canon, Unreliable Narrator</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:35:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,751</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27000346</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/islacruces/pseuds/islacruces</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>James Norrington, a young man of 19, newly appointed first lieutenant of HMS Dauntless, eager to prove his mettle and quickly rise in the ranks of the Royal Navy.<br/>Weatherby Swann, widower, father to a young daughter, newly appointed Governor of Port Royal, eager to make the most of his new posting.<br/>Elizabeth Swann, a girl of 12, an only child to a doting father, eager to experience the things she has only ever read about in her books.<br/>These three people board the Dauntless in the year 1720 to start a new life in the distant Caribbean. But for better or worse, the voyage changes their lives even before they reach the Caribbean’s blue-green waters.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elizabeth Swann &amp; Weatherby Swann, Elizabeth Swann &amp; Will Turner, James Norrington &amp; Elizabeth Swann, James Norrington &amp; Weatherby Swann</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Crossing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The weather was as good as anyone could have hoped for in this part of the world, but James Norrington did not care for it. He had never been fond of the clime in England, perhaps because he had spent so little time there even in his childhood. The sweltering heat of the tropics did no favours for any man in a naval uniform and they came with their own motley crew of diseases (some even deadlier than consumption, that vicious killer of the helpless), but he vastly preferred the unavoidable company of the sun or the occasional hurricane to snow and sleet. At least he knew how to navigate his way around those.</p><p>If truth be told, James believed that he was raised neither in England nor in Jamaica, but rather on all the ships that his father had ever served on or commanded. It had made him a fine sailor, at least by his own reckoning. But his father would have said otherwise. He had taken great pains so that James would never forget about how he fell overboard and had to be saved by a filthy pirate when he was a lad.</p><p>James had never fallen overboard again, even as a young midshipman with his letter of service and his uncomfortable uniform, which always seemed to shrink overnight as soon as he had acquired a larger one. He made sure that he never would, or else he would never hear the end of it.</p><p>He had already made sure of plenty of things in his life: a commission, a permanent assignment in Port Royal, a posting as first lieutenant aboard the finest ship in the Royal Navy. Not even his father could boast of crewing the <em>Dauntless</em>. And all of that he had secured by the age of 19. James allowed himself that secret little joy.</p><p>And that day would be his last in Portsmouth, as the <em>Dauntless</em> was set to depart from the dockyard at precisely eight o’clock that morning. She was to make berth permanently in Port Royal and serve as the newest addition to the fleet’s first-rates in Caribbean waters. His father’s ship the <em>Adamant</em> had survived her last battle, but only just. The admiralty had determined that it was high time to retire the old vessel and replace her with an even finer ship-of-the-line. The <em>Dauntless</em> carried more guns than the <em>Adamant</em> ever did, and the architects had made sure to correct all their errors on the previous vessel. She was a ship to be proud of, and James imagined that if he worked hard enough, he would captain her in due time.</p><p>But for now, he was merely her first lieutenant. He had already served on other ships for well over 10 years and earned the position because he had been in the service far longer than the rest. Of the other three lieutenants, only Venning was younger than he; Webb had five years on him and Pascoe seven. But seniority on a vessel was only as good as the experiences one has amassed.</p><p>His post as first lieutenant exempted him from watch duty, which he had never been overly fond of. He much preferred working longer hours than in short bursts. He had fewer duties this time around, but far more responsibilities. James would have been hard pressed to deny that he enjoyed being a commanding officer. He quite liked it when other people depended on him.</p><p>The night before, Captain Coombe had assigned him to see to their passengers.</p><p>“I’d normally ask the clerk, Norrington,” the captain had said behind his desk, “but this is no officer’s wife nor a civilian with his eye on a longitude reward. The admiralty would perhaps rather that I do the escorting myself…”</p><p>“I shall see it done, sir.”</p><p>McCourt, the clerk assigned on board, had given him a roster of their civilian guests and a map of their designated quarters before he left the dockyard. There were only 11 of them: the new governor of Port Royal, his young daughter, and their household staff. He wondered how old the girl was, and if she knew how to swim.</p><p>
  <em>“Father! Father!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He had to scream or else no one would have known. But screaming made him swallow mouthfuls of salt water, and he sputtered and gagged.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Help me!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Father said he had learned how to swim before even learning how to walk. But he could not swim then. His arms felt like lead and he felt as though his shoes had been tied to rocks. He went under and saw the sunlight beyond the surface getting further and further away from view.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A strong, sinewy arm grabbed him by the waist and slowly dragged him back up to the surface. When he looked down, he saw the letter P branded on the arm. Against the darkness of the waters, it almost gleamed bright.</em>
</p><p>James woke up that morning even before the rooster crowed, as he always did. If he hoped of ever becoming a captain before the age of 25, necessary sacrifices had to be made. In any case, he had always been indifferent to sleep.</p><p>He opened the window of the tiny room at the inn where he was billeted along with his fellow crew members. It was only across the road from the dockyard, but the newly built fortifications enclosing the city made sure that he would not have a view of the sea. But no matter, they would be out in open water soon enough.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Elizabeth had spent the previous evening doing anything but sleep. She could not find it in her to shut her eyes and doze off; she was far too excited at the prospect of sea travel. She had never been on a ship in her life, let alone a rowboat. Her only memory of riding a vessel that could float on water was when she had gone punting with her aunt and cousins during a visit to Cambridge.</p><p>She had heard the maids Estrella and Arabella talking about seasickness and how they were worried that they would get it during the voyage. She knew nothing about such a thing and so took it upon herself to find out. While the entire household had been preoccupied with packing their belongings, she quietly went into the library and borrowed one of her father’s tomes on common ailments. It had not been difficult to obtain; at that point, the books had all been taken down from the shelves and scattered all around the room in piles that went up to her waist. The tome just so happened to be on top of one of piles closest to the door. She didn’t <em>steal</em> it; it was only borrowing… though she may have neglected to properly ask her father for it. He would never get angry about it, of course. He never got angry about anything she did. In any case, she would put it in his new shelf in their new house in Port Royal once they arrived.</p><p>That had been two weeks ago, when they were still in London. Now they were in Portsmouth, where there were even more ships in the harbour than there ever were on the Thames. When they approached the city, Father had pulled open the curtains on the carriage window and pointed at a massive ship with beautiful white sails that was anchored in front of the navy dockyard.</p><p>“That’s her, the <em>Dauntless</em>,” he had said excitedly. “We are very privileged to be able to take such safe passage to Jamaica, surrounded by officers and on one of their first-rates too. Not everyone is so lucky.”</p><p>Elizabeth had continued to stare out the carriage window, but she did not find any black sails in the harbour. But of course there wouldn’t be any pirates here. Not when the Royal Navy was right there.</p><p>Traveling on a ship was going to be exciting, but not quite as exciting as meeting a pirate. In her heart of hearts, it had always been her deepest desire to encounter one. And if she were lucky, while they were in the middle of some heroic derring-do! She had already read all about the famous ones, knew all their names and all their exploits, and even had their code memorized. She could become a pirate if she wanted, she knew enough about their way of life. Living in the Caribbean, right in their very home, would only increase her chances of meeting one. She anxiously awaited that opportunity.</p><p>But that night before they set off, she did not read her books about Blackbeard or Morgan and Bartholomew or the young Jack Sparrow. She busied herself instead with rifling through the tome on ailments. Many of the pages had words she wasn’t even sure how to pronounce and drawings of unsavoury subjects that she tried to look at but couldn’t. Finally, she found the page on seasickness. It wasn’t as unpleasant as she had thought. Perhaps if she were lucky, she wouldn’t get it at all.</p><p>When she heard footsteps outside the door (most probably her father’s valet Humphry), she blew out her candle and tried to sleep. But sleep would not come. Elizabeth occupied herself with staring out the window instead. The huge city walls obstructed most of her view of the harbour, but she only needed to imagine what lay beyond them. In her imagination, there were black sails billowing in the wind, sailors with peg legs and golden teeth and patches over their eyes, and in their arms nuggets of gold numbering in the thousands. How it all fascinated her.</p><p>She did not realize that she had finally dozed off with her head leaning against the windowpane until Estrella shook her gently by the shoulder. When she opened her eyes, the sky outside was already a pale shade of blue.</p><p>A rush of excitement swept over her. It was finally time, and she could not wait to find out what lay in store for her in her new life.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Weatherby Swann was feeling superbly that morning. He had insisted on wearing his very best for their departure and chose the new crimson jacket and waistcoat his favourite tailor had made especially for the voyage. He had been loathe to part with the old man and very nearly cried in his shop when they bid each other farewell. (He did allow himself a tear or two in his study as soon as he had shut the door behind him.)</p><p>Elizabeth, on the other hand, did not take after him in the least and had not a care in the world about the latest fashions. Weatherby did not mind taking matters into his own hands, for he loved all manner of dress regardless of who wore it. Before they left London, he had a dozen new dresses made for her. He only hoped that she would not suddenly grow a foot taller while they were aboard the <em>Dauntless</em> for the next seven weeks. He was fairly tall, and Emily had been quite statuesque herself; he expected that Elizabeth would be too. But as far as he knew, the Royal Navy did not keep a tailor as part of the crew nor did they have bolts of silk stored on a warship. And he most certainly could not ask any of the officers to lend her a uniform.</p><p>He shook his head with a chuckle, willing himself to ignore his thoughts. It did not take much effort, for he was far too excited to begin their journey. As soon as Elizabeth, in the pretty green frock he had chosen for that day, and all the staff joined him in the foyer, all worrisome thoughts escaped him.</p><p>At breakfast (which Elizabeth had declined, he supposed, due to her own excitement), he had received a missive from Captain Coombe apologizing that he had to see to some matters before their departure and that his first lieutenant would welcome them in his stead. Weatherby thought the name seemed familiar to him as he read it on the paper. Perhaps it was some admiral’s son; most sons of the Navy tended to follow in their father’s footsteps, after all.</p><p>They took three carriages to the dockyard, the first for him and Elizabeth and the other two for their staff and all their belongings.</p><p>Elizabeth was beside herself with anticipation. “Do you think they’ll let us see the cannons, Father?”</p><p>“I’m sure they will,” he replied, “though perhaps later, in the coming days. The men will be too occupied at present.”</p><p>“But you said the lieutenant would show us about the ship.”</p><p>“I said he would show us to our quarters. A first mate has many responsibilities.” He sighed and gazed at her warmly, then continued, “We will be on that ship for the next three fortnights at least. I am quite certain you will have known your way around every nook and cranny by then.”</p><p>Elizabeth turned her eyes away, resuming her observation of the street outside.</p><p>“Before we embark, allow me to remind you again that we must maintain a sense of propriety, Elizabeth,” he went on. “Moreover, the <em>Dauntless</em> is a military vessel and its crew are there to perform their duties as best they can. Do not disturb them while they are at work.”</p><p>She nodded silently but did not look at him.</p><p>It was all Weatherby could do not to heave another sigh. Seven weeks now seemed almost an eternity. She would surely be up to some mischief before they were even halfway across the Atlantic.</p><p>When the carriage momentarily stopped, he peered out the window and saw the dockyard gates opening to let them in.</p><p>“Ah, we’re almost there,” he announced, beaming.</p><p>Elizabeth got up from her seat and tried to crane her neck to see past the glass. He knew that she would no longer be persuaded to sit back down and so let her be.</p><p>Within five minutes of driving through the dockyard and seeing more sailors and marines than he had ever witnessed before in his life, he finally caught sight of the massive warship that would bear them to Jamaica. She was even larger than he had expected.</p><p><em>An even larger labyrinth than I had imagined</em>, he corrected himself as worried lines formed on his brow.</p><p>A tall figure in a lieutenant’s uniform stood at the end of the dock, facing their general direction. A bevy of sailors lined the gangplank behind him. As the carriage drew closer and closer, Weatherby got a clearer look at the man: his face still as stone, his hands laced behind his ramrod-straight back. He looked the picture of a perfect officer, as if the standard-issue uniform had been designed especially for him. Weatherby had always been partial to the Royal Navy’s uniforms, such impeccable tailoring.</p><p>Their eyes met through the window and, as the carriage finally stopped, the young man gave him a nod. Then his eyes fell on the girl across from Weatherby, with her face upturned, eyes squinting, freckled nose scrunched up, and mouth ajar as she looked up at the <em>Dauntless</em>.</p><p>“Elizabeth, for goodness sake,” he chided, wondering what sort of impression they had already made on the first lieutenant. Probably not as good as he had hoped for, but this was exactly what he had expected.</p><p>His daughter seemed to have been thrown out of her reverie as she looked back at him, then at the man outside the carriage. He was pleased to see that she looked a tiny bit bashful, at the very least.</p><p>He heard their footman Arthur jump down from behind the carriage. The lad rushed forward to open the door, and Weatherby got out.</p><p>“Governor Swann, it’s a pleasure,” said the lieutenant. “I’m James Norrington, first lieutenant of this vessel.” He had a distinctive voice, and Weatherby found that he had already taken a liking to him.</p><p>“Lieutenant Norrington, the pleasure is all mine,” he said, beaming.</p><p>The lieutenant smiled back, though his features almost immediately reverted back to stone, as though by force of habit.</p><p>Weatherby turned and began, “Allow me to present my daugh – “</p><p>But she was much faster.</p><p>“I’m Elizabeth Swann,” she said in a loud, clear voice as she extended her hand towards Norrington. “How do you do?”</p><p>“How do you do, Miss Swann,” he said, taking her tiny hand in his. He made as though to help her alight from the carriage, but she shook his hand instead.</p><p>“<em>Elizabeth!</em>” exclaimed Weatherby. He felt his cheeks redden and when he heard the sailors try to hide their sniggering, he was sure that his face was now the colour of a ripe tomato. He gave the lieutenant an apologetic look, but saw that he was smiling up at her. This time, the smile did not immediately leave his face. In fact, he seemed almost amused.</p><p>Weatherby did not miss the cheeky grin she tried to hide as Norrington turned back to face him.</p><p>“May we begin hauling up your cargo?” he asked.</p><p>“Yes, yes, of course,” the governor replied, still flustered.</p><p>Norrington nodded, then said to his men, “Take these to the admiral’s quarters.”</p><p>The sailors descended from the gangplank and carefully began taking down the chests and boxes from the carriages. Norrington excused himself, promising that he would not be long, and went about supervising the men.</p><p>Weatherby turned to his daughter and pointedly shook his head at her. She did not look the least bit guilty. Rather, it was he himself who felt guilty that he could do nothing to stop her. He had underestimated her completely. She would not be wreaking havoc before they were halfway across the Atlantic. She was already wreaking havoc before they had even left <em>England</em>.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>She was the most curious child he had ever met. Curious in more ways than one.</p><p>James knew from that moment that the voyage would be far more interesting than it usually was. It had been wrong of him to expect a shy girl hiding behind her father’s coat, but neither had he anticipated such an audacious little thing as the one with her hand in the crook of his arm while they went up the gangplank.</p><p>He already lost count how many questions she had asked him in rapid succession, and they had not even made it to the entry port yet. She had some knowledge of vessels, which impressed him. She must have been a voracious reader, which surprised him.</p><p>“Why doesn’t the gangplank go all the way up to the quarterdeck?”</p><p>“The ship is too high, therefore the climb would be far too steep.”</p><p>“You said to take our things to the admiral’s quarters. Where is the admiral?”</p><p>“We have no admiral on board at present.”</p><p>“Why is it called a first-rate?”</p><p>“A first-rate vessel boasts of 100 guns in her arsenal. The higher the rating, the fewer the guns.”</p><p>“Why is a ship a lady?”</p><p>“That I do not know, I’m afraid.”</p><p>He was disappointed in himself that he did not know, for surely she thought that he knew everything already.</p><p>The governor kept glancing back at her with exasperation clearly written across his face. James barely resisted telling him to mind his steps, given that they had nothing to hold onto as they made the climb. And the governor seemed like the sort of man who cared a great deal about his appearance; he would ruin his coat if he fell into the water.</p><p>This father-and-daughter were a curious pair, indeed.</p><p>When they walked past the entry port, James told his little companion, “Welcome aboard the <em>Dauntless</em>.”</p><p>Pride welled up inside of him once again at the thought of being able to serve on this vessel, but it was nothing compared to the look of wonder that spread across Miss Swann’s face. She said in a small voice that this was her first time on a ship, and he was unsure if she had meant for him to hear it or if she was talking to herself.</p><p>To her father, he directed, “Take the right corridor, Governor, then the stairs up to the lower gun deck.”</p><p>“The gun deck?” Miss Swann positively gasped.</p><p>Governor Swann sighed at almost the exact same instance, and James found himself smiling wistfully.</p><p>As soon as they made it to the top of the stairs and onto the lower gun deck, with a nigh endless line of cannons flanking them both left and right, she exclaimed, “Father, look! Look at them all!”</p><p>“Yes, my dear, I see them.”</p><p>And to James, she asked, “Will we get to see you firing them?”</p><p>“One should hope not,” he answered. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Governor Swann open his mouth, then immediately close it again.</p><p>He led them across the deck, to where the admiral’s quarters awaited them on the aft-most part of the vessel. The governor and his household had been assigned the entirety of this part of the ship, including the admiral’s day cabin and the dining cabin, the largest one on the <em>Dauntless</em>.</p><p>By the time they entered the day cabin, the sailors had already set down their chests against the walls. The governor looked admiringly around the room, commenting on the quality of the wooden furniture and expressing how much he liked the chequered pattern on the floor. Miss Swann, on the other hand, lingered at the doorway and looked back at the gun deck.</p><p>“Fumigation is done every fortnight in every part of the ship,” he said. “Ergo we must ask you to vacate your quarters for an hour or two. I apologize for the inconvenience.”</p><p>Governor Swann, who had been studying a painting on the wall, looked at him almost disbelievingly. “Surely, every fortnight is excessive for such a thing?”</p><p>“These are the captain’s orders, Governor. He wishes to avoid conducting any burials at sea, if he can help it.”</p><p>“Yes, well… When you put it that way…” The governor let out a nervous laugh.</p><p>“Will we stop anywhere or head straight for Jamaica?” It was Miss Swann’s turn to ask a question. That gave James some comfort, for he felt that she had been awfully silent since they had entered their quarters.</p><p>“I’ve read a bit about Madeira,” she continued in a hopeful tone.</p><p>“As it happens,” said James with a smile, “we <em>are</em> stopping for provisions in Madeira.”</p><p>Her entire face lit up. Even the governor looked rather pleased by that.</p><p>“Will we be there long?” he asked.</p><p>“Only three days in-port, Governor.”</p><p>He listed off more information for them, wondering if they would be able to remember all of it. Even King’s Letter boys had some difficulty remembering all the rules on board. Though he had a strong feeling in his gut that the young miss would have an almost preternatural affinity to seafaring, he was somewhat doubtful about her father. Still, he kept an open mind. The governor might have sea legs after all.</p><p>Before he took his leave of them, he said, “The captain’s cabin is upstairs on the quarterdeck, should you ever have need of him.”</p><p>“And if we should have need of <em>you</em>, Lieutenant?” asked the governor, and the smile he gave him made James realize that he was not referring to any sort of assistance aboard the ship.</p><p>He was surprised by the question, but even more so by his own reaction to it. He was touched, or as touched as he allowed himself to be. He was not accustomed to this feeling, of being wanted for his company rather than his service.</p><p>“My cabin is directly above yours, Governor,” he replied, and he was sure that his voice shook as he spoke, “on the upper gun deck.”</p><p>“Oh, you <em>must</em> join us for dinner later!” Governor Swann exclaimed suddenly.</p><p>“Yes, please do!” added Miss Swann, who had a mischievous gleam in her eyes.</p><p>So they <em>did</em> agree on some things.</p><p>He was beyond astonished by the offer, though he must have looked hesitant because the governor added, “Of course we’ll be sure to invite the captain and your fellow officers as well. I should like to befriend all of them.”</p><p>“I will gladly extend your invitation to them,” he said, trying to maintain his composure. “Now if you will excuse me…”</p><p>“Yes, of course, much to be done! Well, thank you for such a warm welcome – ”</p><p>“You <em>must</em> tell me all about Madeira later – ”</p><p>“<em>Elizabeth.</em>”</p><p>“I will, Miss Swann.”</p><p>He shut the door behind him as he stepped back out onto the gun deck and made sure that there was no one in close proximity before allowing himself a big toothy grin. Then he put on his usual face and made his way up to the quarterdeck. There was, indeed, much to be done.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Not long after the lieutenant took his leave, Elizabeth convinced her father to accompany her up on the poop deck to watch the ship leaving the harbour. She tried to get Estrella, and even the footmen Arthur and James, to join them, but they were too busy unpacking their things.</p><p>The sun was not yet high in the sky when they went up to the quarterdeck. Her father remarked on the weather, calling it pleasant, but Elizabeth was not remotely interested in the weather. How could she be, when everything around her proved to be far more fascinating?</p><p>The deck was massive. It was just as she had imagined it, though the <em>Dauntless</em> was far cleaner than the pirate ship in her imagination. All the wood had been waxed spotless: the floor, the gunwales, the masts. The sails were just as spotless, and there were so many of them that she could barely see the blue sky beyond them if she looked directly above. All the sailors on deck wore freshly laundered shirts and trousers. Though a lot of them worked on their bare feet, none of their soles were dark with grime.</p><p>Though she was impressed by it all, she found herself a tiny bit disappointed that she could not find a single peg leg among them. And when the men opened their mouths to shout orders at each other, she could spot no golden teeth.</p><p>But what surprised her the most were the boys. She had read about King’s Letter boys, midshipmen who were usually the sons of officers themselves and decided to join the Navy and become officers just like their fathers before them. She was quite sure that Lieutenant Norrington had been one himself. But there were other boys who didn’t wear coats as these midshipmen did. These others were shoeless and had their trouser legs rolled up as they stood on top of the sails and looked through their spyglasses. How she wished she could do the same. It probably felt incredible to be standing up there, high above the rest of the world.</p><p>She had half a mind to steal a midshipman’s coat and trousers, perhaps once everything had settled down and they were already out in the middle of the Atlantic. Surely all of them had more than one set of clothes. They would never notice. And more than once, she had ventured a glance at the spyglass clipped to the lieutenant’s belt as he escorted them to their rooms. She was certain that she could convince him to lend it to her. What fun she would have!</p><p>Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud shout.</p><p>“<em>Weigh anchor, men!</em>”</p><p>The deck rang all around with cries of <em>“Aye, aye!”</em> and both men and boys scrambled in from all directions as they began to pull up the anchors.</p><p>Father put a hand on her shoulder and led her away from the chaos, to an unoccupied corner of the deck. She looked up at him, and he looked down and smiled at her, squeezing her shoulder as he did so.</p><p>Elizabeth’s heart began pounding wildly in her chest. Once the anchors were hauled up, there was nothing else left but to sail off into open sea. Only seven more weeks and she would finally be in Port Royal, in an entirely new world living an entirely new life.</p><p>She turned around and looked back at the dockyard and the city walls. It would be the last she would see of England perhaps in a while, perhaps forever. Who could really say?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I based the design and floor plan on that of Lord Nelson's ship <i>HMS Victory</i>, which the POTC production designers used as an inspiration for the <i>Dauntless</i>. The <i>Victory</i> is now a museum ship which you can visit at the real Royal Navy Dockyard in Portsmouth!<br/>You can find me on Tumblr as <a href="https://lieutenantnorrington.tumblr.com">@lieutenantnorrington</a>, where I spend too much time making GIFs of this wacky/tragic franchise.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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